


Bad Things Come in Waves

by proudloser



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Abusive Sonia Kaspbrak, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Eddie Kaspbrak is a Mess, Established Eddie Kaspbrak/Stanley Uris, F/M, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Poly Losers Club Fic Exchange, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, Stanley Uris is a Mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28156722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/proudloser/pseuds/proudloser
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak had never liked winter. There was always something there to ruin it.
Relationships: Poly Losers Club - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12
Collections: Poly Losers Club Fic Exchange Vol.3





	Bad Things Come in Waves

**Author's Note:**

> This is my story for the poly losers fic exchange. Please read the tags and read the warnings. 
> 
> TW: child abuse  
> TW: Sonia Kaspbrak   
> TW: implied CSA  
> TW: attempted murder

It was a cold, stormy winter afternoon in Bangor, Maine. The snowfall had gone from a few flakes here and there in the morning, to thunder and hail throughout the afternoon. All day, the pellets of frozen rain could be heard as they hit the windows and roofs of homes. Every once in a while, the sound was accompanied by a loud, crashing boom of thunder.   
Most would simply see the weather as an inconvenience; particularly as they were driving to and from work or school. But that was not the case for a certain boy who works from home.  
Eddie had been trying to ignore the sounds from outside, blocking it out with earbuds, listening to music as he typed away on his laptop. Though it wasn't just the noise causing the distraction; the way the snow and hail fell from the sky mesmerized him as well.   
Eddie never got to go outside in this weather as a kid; his mother kept him inside, sometimes even taking him out of school for weeks. He loved the way snow looked, though. He always loved cold weather. The crisp, white powder had always fascinated him.   
He decided to clock out early. He usually works overtime, so clocking out half an hour early isn't bad, right? Eddie thought so, at least.   
It was only 4pm, which was an hour and a half until anyone got home; leaving Eddie with plenty of time to go outside and enjoy the weather.   
Eddie had been put off when Stanley told him he would have to stay at work longer than normal; he was used to someone arriving home at 5pm- 5:25 at the very latest. Still, he understood that his boyfriend could not control when he had mandatory meetings, therefore he would have to cope with Stan, Richie, and Beverly getting home at around the same time for once.   
Eddie had left his office to grab his coat in the closet. He reached out to touch the fabric, only to tear his hand away from the coat with a whimper; the texture of the velvety coat was too much for him to handle at the time. He didn't think he would be so sensitive to touch; he thought he had returned to normal after the shutdown he'd had a few days in the past. But sadly, he was mistaken. That was okay, though; he could just grab one of Bill's flannels to wear. It wouldn't help with the cold too much, but it would be better than nothing.   
He grabbed one of Bill's dark blue flannels, closed the closet, placed his phone in his pocket, and headed to the front porch.   
When Eddie opened the front door, he was blasted with a wave of freezing air. He shivered heavily, yet still stepped into the storm. He closed the front door behind him, leaving the inviting warmth for when he was done. He gasped, watching the hail fall and bounce off the ground. It amazed him in a way that he could not explain. He sat down on their porch swing, and let the visuals and sounds of the winter storm consume his thoughts.   
He heard the booming thunder in the distance, mixed with the constant noise of hail hitting the porch cover and the front yard. He saw trees blowing in the wind aggressively; small branches being flung from them. He felt himself getting colder and colder, but he was unable to drag himself away. "If I froze here, it wouldn't be so bad" he muttered to himself. "There are seven losers, and I don't like the number seven. Six is much more fitting."   
Eddie shook his head, not knowing why was he thinking like that. He curled up on himself, deciding he would tell Stan about those thoughts; he would understand.   
Eddie stayed outside, losing track of time. He began to feel dizzy and weak, but he just couldn't leave it behind.   
When he finally got tired of watching the storm, he found that he could hardly stand. He felt dizzy and exhausted, to the point that he hardly noticed Bev and Richie walking towards him.   
___________  
Eddie felt his senses return to him slowly, not knowing it had been two hours since he blacked out. He cringed, feeling numb and tingly.   
He opened his eyes and glanced to his left. His vision was blurry. The only distinct thing he saw was a blob of ginger hair.   
"You feeling okay, Eds?" Beverly said, reaching out to hold the boy's hand.   
Eddie slowly sat up, feeling his head throb. "I feel like shit."   
"Sounds fun." Bev joked, chuckling lightly. "What were you doing outside, love?"   
Though he heard the loving concern in her voice, he felt awfully embarrassed to admit it. "I wanted to see the storm." He said, burying his reddening face in his hands. "I'm sorry."   
"Oh, honey.." Beverly sighed. "I'm not mad at you and neither are the others, if that's what you're thinking. We were just worried about you."  
Eddie sighed with relief. He was so used to his mother overwhelming him with her worries. He had forgotten that concern could be expressed in a healthy way.   
"I really don't want to talk about what happened." He said, griping Bev's hand tightly. "Can we do something? I need to stop thinking about it."   
Beverly smiled sadly, knowing that feeling. She understood how painful it could be to look back and reflect. "Of course we can. Richie, Stan, and Mike are all home. How about we finish decorating the house for the holidays?"  
It took some time for Eddie to be able to stand up, but Beverly helped him walk downstairs, where Richie and Stan were waiting for them.   
"Eds!" Richie shouted, running towards Eddie at top speeds, just to give him a big, warm hug. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"  
Eddie smiled. While Richie could be overwhelmingly caring some of the time, Eddie would always appreciate his boyfriend trying to help and check in on him. "I'm fine, Rich. Just a bit tired."   
The three of them headed to sit with Stan on the couch, Eddie sitting between richie and Stan. "Are you sure you're okay?" Richie questioned. "You aren't dying of hypothermia or anything? Are you sure that you-"  
"Richie, if he says he's fine, listen to him." Stan said, cutting Richie off before he became too overbearing. "Right, sorry." Richie muttered.  
"It's okay." Eddie said, kissing Richie on the cheek. "I know you meant well."   
The four of them heard the door unlock, smiling as Mike came in. "Is everything alright?" Mike asked, putting his jacket and bag in the closet.   
Eddie groaned. "If one more person asks me that, I'll stay outside in the storm until I genuinely do die of hypothermia."   
Bev reached over Richie to flick Eddie on the forehead. "No the fuck you aren't, you handsome bastard." She said. "You're stuck with us, loser."  
Eddie grinned. "Sure thing, loser."   
_________  
"Richie, stop throwing tree ornaments at Stan." Mike half yelled at the tall bastard. Stan had been trying to strangle Richie with leftover tinsel, having none of his decoration-slinging bullshit.   
"Richie, keep throwing tree ornaments at Stan." Bev shouted from the kitchen. "It's free entertainment and I love it."   
Eddie sighed, watching his partners fake-argue over yet another stupid thing. A few years ago, he would have been worried in a situation like this; the thought of Richie being strangled to death, especially by a loser. That was terrifying to Eddie. But now that his social interactions were less limited due to his mother, he was able to pick up on how Richie was grinning, and Stan was struggling to hold back laughter. He smiled, glad to know his partners were having fun. He took a sip of the tea Bev had made him. He recognized that even holidays could be negative and chilling, but there would always be positivity and warmth. He truly felt at home.   
One by one, the remaining losers arrived. They all settled in the living room, watching a holiday movie, cuddling on the couch.   
"From cold and dark to warm and light." Eddie thought, leaning against Bill. He truly felt at home, knowing he was safe with his family.   
Bad things come in waves, but there is always shelter waiting for you.  
_________  
That night, Stan, Eddie, and Beverly stayed up the latest. While the other losers headed to bed, the three lovers chose to stay up late and enjoy the stupid, mindless humor of South Park. Eddie was too awake from the nap he had taken, Bev stayed up late very often, and Stan wanted to stay up late with his favorite people. (Just don't tell the others that Stan picks favorites; he's supposed to be the reasonable and unbiased one on occasion.)   
They weren't just watching the show, though; they were blasting the show at a fairly high volume, listening and watching from the kitchen. Of course it was Bev, Ms. Beverly-who-cannot-bake Marsh, who decided they were going to make sugar cookies. Thankfully, Eddie knew how to bake, and Stan kept her from adding an entire bag of flour and a whole carton of eggs.   
While the cookies were in the oven, Beverly had an absolutely genius idea. While Stan and Eddie were busy wiping the mess they had made off of the counter, Beverly grabbed the bag of flour, but sadly realized it was empty. "Damn it! Eddie, is there any more flour? I want to dump it on Stan's head."  
Stan chuckled and sighed. "I am simply existing, yet my partners are conspiring against me."   
Bev laughed. "You have the best hair! Messing it up would be the most funny."   
Eddie laughed. "Alright, honey; no more conspiring against Stan." He said, finally done cleaning the counter. He's dealt with enough; we need to team up against Richie instead."  
Bev laughed, hugging Eddie with one arm. "I can agree to that! We should start by pouring flour on his head."   
________  
Soon enough, Beverly grew tired enough to go to bed. She kissed both of her boys before heading off to her and Mike's shared room.   
Stan and Eddie chose to stay awake, both still too awake to want to lay down and rest. Stanley sighed and turned to face Eddie, knowing that this conversation would likely go badly, but knowing that it was necessary. He took a deep breath and finally asked;  
"Eddie, can we please talk? I understand if you don't want to talk, but I'm really worried about you." Stan took Eddie's hand, feeling it shake slightly. "You seem really down and tired lately, and what happened today was.." Stan paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "..concerning, to say the least. I know something is up. Please don't try to deny it. I'm worried, honey. I really am."   
Stan watches as Eddie paled, trying to catch his breath. Eddie couldn't find the words to express his emotions.   
"I..." Eddie started. He couldn't say what had been bothering him; he didn't have the words. He had not expected Stan to notice that something was off. He should have, though; Stan always knew when he needed help and support. Eddie always loved that about him.   
Eddie tried his best to get air in his lungs. "It's.. h-her.." he managed to get out. Stan's eyes widened as her realized what was going on. Of course it was about Sonia; what else would it be?   
"Eddie? Can I hug you?" He nodded at that, as the reality started to feel distant.   
"I know that things are hard, Eddie." Stan said, sighing sadly as Eddie began to cry in his arms. "I know holidays are tough, and I know you'll never forget what happened." Eddie sobbed at that. He knew Stan was talking about his mother. One winter, her abuse and manipulation towards her only son was at it's peak. Eddie had not even recognized it as abuse at the time, and he told the school counselor everything. He just couldn't keep dealing with it, even though he thought it was normal.   
That same winter, on Christmas Eve, Sonia Kaspbrak was arrested for abusing her child. Eddie never got over it. He had blamed himself for years.  
"Holiday suck for both of us, you know?" Stan said, bringing Eddie out of his thoughts. "I know it sucks. I know how hard it is to forget." Eddie remembered all the pressure that Stan's father had put onto his son. "Family isn't always great; especially for people like us." Stan continued, hugging Eddie tighter. "But we have each other, right? We are much better off without them. Sonia hurt you. My parents hurt me. What they did to you and me is not okay." Stan cupped Eddie's face in his hand. "We can do this together, okay? I will always be here for you."   
Eddie shook with slight sobs, hugging gis beloved Stan as tightly as he could. "I love you." He said. "I can't find words right now, but I love you."   
Stan smiled, understanding that Eddie couldn't always communicate, and that was okay.   
Half an hour later, and Eddie was passed out in Stan's lap, exhausted from the day's events. Stan sighed, thinking about that one winter.   
_________  
It was the cold winter of their senior year for the losers club. Everyone was in heavy coats, thick wool gloves, and heavy winter boots. It was the last day of school before winter break, so every student was buzzing in their seats with excitement all day.   
Stan always felt left out this time of the year. Everyone was talking about Christmas. It's not that he hated the holiday; he was just tired of everyone making the assumption that everybody on the world celebrated Christmas. Nobody wished him a Happy Hanukkah; not even a Happy Holidays. It was always "Merry Christmas."   
As annoying as that was, Stan had more to be worried about at the time. Stan noticed that Eddie had been anxiously stimming all throughout class, and he was clearly stressed. When the lunch bell rang, Eddie yelped and covered his ears.   
"You okay, Eddie?" Stan asked as he put his things into his bag. "You look awful; I mean that it the nicest way possible."  
Eddie cringed. "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm great. I'm doing great." He said, avoiding eye contact with Stan.   
"Nope; don't fucking lie to me, Eddie Kaspbrak." Stan said, putting his hand on Eddie's shoulder. He hardly stopped to think about how boney his boyfriend's arm felt. "I don't know what's going on, but you need to talk to someone. If not me, then one of the other losers, or the school counselor."   
Eddie sighed, not liking any of those options, but knowing that Stan would not let this go. Eddie mentally cursed Stan's ability to persist when needed.   
Eddie ended up choosing to talk to the school counselor, as long as Stan went with him. Stan happily agreed to this; he would be able to find out what was going on with Eddie. He just needed Eddie to be as comfortable as possible, and if the school counselor can help, then so be it.   
They were both thankful that the counselor was open during this lunch period, so they could get it over with as quickly as humanly possible.   
What they did not know was that this meeting would last for hours, then Eddie would have to speak with child protective services for a few more hours.   
Stan was absolutely horrifying. He had known Sonia Kaspbrak was a disgusting monster, but he didn't know half of what was really going on.   
What horrified him most was that Eddie had been dealing with this for years, thinking it was all normal. Or at least, he thought that was the worst part of it..  
The most atrocious thing was how Sonia lied her way out of it all.   
Eddie was forced to stay in her home.   
The abuse got worse.   
Within a few days of the CPS case being closed, a case worker payed a surprise visit to see how things were going with them.   
She caught Sonia trying to stab her son.   
Police were called, there was more questioning, and in the end, Sonia was put in prison; guilty of mental, physical, and sexually abusing her son, as well as attempted murder.   
Eddie moved in with the Toziers. They took him in gladly, and the losers were there to support him. The seven kids practically lived in that home for two weeks after Sonia's arrest.   
It was the worst winter imaginable. Eddie had spent years dealing with far more than any child should have had to, and he didn't even realize that what his mother put him through was wrong until that point.  
It was a lot for everyone to process. Eddie was partially in denial; denial that it was abuse, and denial that his mother was in prison.  
Some days, Eddie's mind would regress. He would wander the halls of his new home, calling for his mother, but never finding her. One of the Toziers would find him, and have to remind him of his reality.   
The losers stuck together as always. They had promised to always be there for each other, so there they were.   
Beverly and Eddie stuck together a lot; they both understood each other.  
They would get through this.   
___________  
Stan hadn't even realized that he was crying as he thought about the past. He cursed Sonia for putting her son through years and years of torment, and he cursed child "protective" services for not truly helping kids in need.   
He looked down at Eddie, smiling through his tears. Eddie was so unbelievably strong. He had dealt with so much torture, yet he was still standing. Eddie dealt with so many internal battles each and every day, and he came out winning each and every time. Stan admired his bravery, wishing he were half as bold.   
Stan jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning around to see Mike.   
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, dove." Mike said apologetically. "Are you alright?"  
Stan smiled at him, nodding. "I'll be okay." He said, wiping his tears. "Eddie and I talked about Sonia, and I got really upset and pissed thinking about that." Mike nodded knowingly, sitting on the couch next to Stan. "I was thinking about that too, actually." He said, running his fingers through Stanley's hair. "Ben, Bill and I were talking about how hard the holidays are on him. We plan on doing more decorating tomorrow, and doing some baking." Mike glanced at the coffee table in front of them, seeing the sugar cookies that were made a earlier. "Though it seems you have that covered."  
Stan chuckled. "Bev plans on covering Richie in flour." Mike let out a laugh at that. "As she should."   
Stan yawned, and Mike realized that it was quite literally 2am and Stanley had not slept a wink yet. "Stanley Uris I swear if you do not go to bed right this instant, I will hit you in the head so hard you pass out." He said, annoyed that he hadn't noticed yet.   
Stan groaned. "Fine, but we're sleeping in your bed tonight." Mike smiled. "That can be arranged."  
Mike ended up lifting Eddie out of Stan's lap and carrying him to Mike's bed, shushing him when he started to stir. "Go back to sleep, dearest." He said. "You need rest."   
Eventually, the three boys settled down in bed. Stan fell asleep pretty quickly, Mike following soon after. The losers all had their issues, and they would always support each other.   
After the terrors of night, the comfort of morning would always come. The losers were like morning. They would see eachother in the morning.   
_________  
A hushed conversation. "Do you think he'll be alright?" A pause. "I doubt it; he panicked and called for his mother two days ago. He hasn't opened up since; winter must be stressing him out." A very short pause. "I'm going to fucking murder Sonia Kaspbrak. Eddie deserved so much better, and I'll be damned if he doesn't have a Merry fucking Christmas.. and a happy new year!"   
Eddie sighed, hearing Richie and Ben talk through the wall. He appreciated the effort, but he didn't need a distraction; he needed clarity that his feelings were justified. Eddie never had a good Christmas; his mother ripped that opportunity from him when he was a child. He would go over to Bill's and see their house nice and decorated, smelling of Ms. Denbrough's homemade brownies. But Eddie would always have to leave the holiday spirit behind, going home to take more pills and listen to his mother fuss about his "weight gain." The gain wasn't real; he was getting far skinnier, if anything.   
Eddie laughed bitterly. "What kind of monster treats a child like that?.. an adult"  
__________  
A week had passed, and it was the night of Christmas Eve. The losers were sure to keep Eddie busy all day, so he could enjoy life instead of thinking on the past too much.  
The house was as festive as any person could imagine, there were all kinds of home-made baked goods, and the losers had just finished cleaning the house. Everything was shiny and fresh.   
"Hey, Bill? Do we have any flour left?" Bev said, smirking. Eddie, Stan, and Mike grinned; they had been waiting for this.   
Bill grabbed the bag and inspected it. "Yeah, there's s-still about h... half the bag l-eft." Beverly snatched the bag from his hands, and snuck up behind Richie. She put her finger to her lips when Ben had spotted her. As much as she loved Ben, she would not allow him to ruin her fun. Ben smiled, knowing that Bev would get what was coming to her.   
Bev got in position, waited a short moment, then dumped the remainder of the flour on Richie's heat, getting it all over his hair and glasses. Beverly laughed, thinking she waw victorious. "Gotcha, bitch!"  
Wordlessly, Richie turned around, holding a full bag of flour and a water bottle. Bev froze in shock, and before she could react, Richie threw the water onto her, then took his time dusting her with flour. "Bill told me." He said, grinning. "You cannot out-prank a Tozier, Molly Ringwald."   
"Damn it Bill!" Bev laughed. "You promised you wouldn't tell him!" Bill smiled. "You know I can't keep a secret, lovebug."   
Bev smirked. "Your turn." She said, running to Bill to wrap him in a soggy, floury hug. Bill groaned. "Guess I deserve it."   
"You guys are cleaning this." Eddie said, headed to the living room. "I'm tired as shit; we are watching holiday movies then passing the fuck out."  
_________  
Once the three flour-pour-whores had cleaned up, the losers settled to watch movies together in their living room. They started with Paranormal Activity; not a holiday movie, but a favorite amongst the group.   
Eddie sat in Richie's lap; between Mike and Ben, and he thought about the past week. There was a lot of fear and bad memories, but the losers were always there. His family was there. He was safe with them; in fact, he had never felt safer than he did now.   
Bad things come in waves. Crashing, strong waves; accompanied but booming thunder and harsh cold. But before there are waves, there is peace.   
It took Eddie far too long to realize that his losers were the light; not his mother. She destroyed him in a way that could not ever be fixed. She ruined his childhood innocence, any sense of comfort he had. She stole what could never be returned. He wanted nothing more than to have those back. Thinking about it made him feel impure. Eddie was thrust into pain and suffering from such a young age; he missed out on way too much as a little kid.  
Winters were harsh yet fascinating. He wished that he could better appreciate the season, but for now, he was content with his family.   
"I love you guys." Eddie said. The losers hugged him close. "I love you more than you could ever know."


End file.
